A typical cotton harvester has two or more cotton harvesting units at a forward end thereof. As the cotton harvester is driven across a cotton field, adjacent and generally parallel rows of cotton pass through respective plant passages defined by the harvesting units. To harvest the cotton, each harvesting unit includes picker rotor assemblies which are rotatably driven with a peripheral speed substantially equal to the ground speed of the harvester such that there is no substantial movement of translation between the rotary assemblies and the cotton plant being operated upon so as to inhibit damage to the plant.
Although considerable design effort has advantageously resulted in the rotor assembly having reduced size and weight, the construction, harsh usage and required operation of such an assembly mandates a relatively large sized unit having considerable size and weight. Each rotor assembly of a harvesting unit includes an elongated drive shaft, 12-15 substantially vertical and hollow picker bars, upper and lower picker bar supports connected to the drive shaft for mounting the picker bars about the periphery of the rotor assembly, and 14-20 cotton picker spindles radially extending from each picker bar and in close vertical relation with each other. Each rotor assembly further includes a drive shaft in each picker bar with complementary gear sets on each shaft and picker spindle for rotating the respective spindles about their axes. Suitable drive gears are also provided for rotating the rotor assembly. As will be appreciated, and because of the mass and number of components mounted thereon, each rotor assembly develops considerable momentum upon rotation thereof.
During a harvesting operation, a dense cotton plant or a plant having extremely thick stalks has been known to choke or jam the rotor assembly. Alternatively, a foreign obstacle, such as a rock or the like, lodges in the plant passage of the harvesting unit will likewise cause jamming of the rotor assembly. Because the driver of the cotton harvester is usually incapable of anticipating a chokage or jamming prior to its occurrence, the momentum of the rotor assembly contributes the extensive damage or breakage of the rotor components before the rotor assembly is ultimately stopped. In addition to repairing or replacing the damaged rotor components, the driver is required to clear the obstacles which initially caused the chokage or jamming prior to continuing the harvesting operation.
As will be appreciated, time is a premium concern during the cotton harvesting season. Therefore, it is essential that any damage to the rotor assembly be either inhibited or minimized to maximize harvesting efficiency. Moreover, the effort expended to return the harvesting unit to full efficiency following a chokage or stoppage should be minimized.